Suggestion cabinet



n 7- LE ROY G. MILLS SUGGESTION CABINET Filed Deo.'21, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 J w m 1 z w n fl Ira 1 n 9 Y gaff:

I 'IIIIIIIJ :l llll Patented June 3, 1947 ZAZlJilt I 7 Application DecemberZI, 1944, Scrial Nof569238 L My present invention relates to a suggestion cabinet, that is to a cabinet to invite and receive suggestions from employees or others relating to changes or improvements in connection with business or related activities.

To be most productivea cabinet of the above type should attract attention to the desirability In my invention-I provide a cabinet in which all of the above functions (may be carried on] on a unitary base covered and protectedby abommon cover which may be secured and 'locked against tampering. This cover 'a1so ma'y beso made .as tobe resistant to defacement or tampering. Within the cover is a backing on which may be mounted and securely held'a poster in position to beviewedthrough a Window in the cover and means to illuminate the poster. At one side of this backing is a pocket to hold a supply of blanks and which. are accessible through a slot in the cover so that they may be removed. There. is also a receptacle into which the'filled out suggestion blanks may-:beinserted through aslot through which they cannot be removed or extracted. H

The various features of theinventiori areillustrated, by wayof example, in the accompanying drawingsinwhich V .1 1 1 Fig. =1 isa front view of a cabinet embodying a preferredform of the invention;

i Fig. 2 is a vertical section through thecabinet taken on line 2 2 of Fig, 1;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section through the inet taken on line 33 of Fig.gl;j i

Fig. 4 is a vertical section: of-the cabinettaken on line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a front or face view on a smaller scale of the base of the cabinet.

In the embodiment of th invention shown in the accompanying drawings a base H! is provided on which is mounted a backing II for mounting a poster and atone side of the backing, to the right as viewed in Fig. 5 for example, is mounted an upper pocket l2 for a supply of blanks and a lower receptacle I3 for receiving the filled out suggestion blanks. Near the upper edge of the cab- 1 claim. (01. 232-1.)

base to is a pair oflugs 1M and l 5 which serve as -hinge elements tofsupporta cover l3 having correspondinglugs l1 securedytothe respective lugs-"H and [:5 by'mean's of a suitable pintlek;

The cover lfigcom'prises a front area l8. winch is turned downwardly or backwardly to forman enclosing flange I}! which fits over, the peripheral edge at the base ill as shown particularlyin'lffigs, 2, 3 and 4. The; cover ma e meeet the base in: 5 its closed "position by means not shown. The cover may be made of suitable'mat'rial such as stamped sheet metalor cast metal sueh as cast aluminum; The cover may be rounded as at 20 wherethe peripheral flange merges with the front face l8 and maybe suitably ornamented.

The cover presents a smooth exterior fredfrom ant to disfigurement or breakage. w

The base and cover fit closely around the pe riphery except where cutaway at the upper; edge as at ,2! to enable the cover to be lifted upwardly on its hinges-for acce ss to the base. 7 In theareain front of the backing ll an opening is provided in which is set 'awindow'zl This window may comprise'apane of glass overlapped by a'lip orfflajnge 23 of the opening, as showninl igs. 2 and 3; to which the edgesof the glass are cemented or otherwise secured. Extending inwardly or rearwardly from three of theedges of the window opening, as for exampl the top, right and botto-m edges as viewed in Fig". 1,' is a flange 24 extending to the top or forward face of the backing II. The edge at the left ofthe window is free from anyfiange to enable" light to be'thrown onto the poster from as'uitable lamp 25" an d thus to illuminate any 'sharp angles or protrusions and] is resist theposter. Y i it lmmediately'abovthe upper pocket 12 i a. slot 26 in the cover from which and through whichblanks may be taken, and similarly'at'the upper'edge of the receptacle I3 is a slot 21 into which the filled-put'suggestion blanks may. be inserted. The cover may also contain suitable directions, as at 28 and 29; for the use of these and in place against the front face 30 while the cover is raised a, forwardly projecting ledge 31 is provided at the lower edge of the backing on which the poster may rest, and a recess is formed at the left edge by means of an angle piece 38, Fig. 3, secured to the flange of th backing and extending over and slightly spaced from the left marginal part of the front face 30, To insert a poster it is, therefore, only necessary to rest its lower edge on the flang :31 and slide its left edge into the recess formed between the angle 38 and the front face of the backing. When the cover is then swung downwardly the flange 24 will serve to hold firmly in position the top, right and bottom edges of the poster.

To enable a poster to be removed"a,:1 artrof the flange 3! at the bottom edge-of the backing may be cut away as at 39,Fig.'3,to enable the fingers to be inserted to grasp the poster.

The receptacle I3 and part of the pocket l2 are ,iormed .by an element 40 of. stamped .or' cast material having afront-face 4| lyingv fiat against the .cover and having a rearwardly'extending flange 42 at its sides andbottom, the rear-edge of which abuts and whichissecured to the .front face..of.-the'base .ifl'by-means oflugs or ear-s43. Aeledge 44 extending iorwardlyfrom the :base lforms the bottom of the pocket 12 and the upper closure. of the receptacle I 3.

The .ledge 44 omay be positioned immediately above lthe upper edge .of the opening .21.. The element 411 ,may similarly be provided with .an opening'45 in. alignment withthe openingzl. The rear edge of the ledge 44 may becurvedas at 4.6 to I guide-a filled blank ..or suggestion into thereoeptacleas-at 41. Preferably the element 4| is provided with a rearwardlyextending flange -48 immediately below the opening 45 so to form a guide passage- 49 for the suggestion .or blank 41. When thezsuggestion hasibeenlfullyinserted through themssage- 4 9 -it--.fa1ls .to the bottom of the receptacle asindicated-at EBand-theflange 48 guardszagainst thesuggestionbeing fished-out of *thelreceptacle through the opening-45.

The pocket t2 is'formed-by the forwardly projecting ledge 44 and the element 4 I and holds the blanks, as indicated 'at 5 l, with their ,upper edges readily accessible through the opening '26. The-space above :the opening :26- may be :olosed by a flange 52 proa' ectingior-wardly irom-theebase H! when the 1 cover l-8 has been swung upwardly to expose the base. Additional blanks "may be inserted in the pocket 42- when required andsthe suggestions deposited in the receptacle l' 3-;may besremoved through eantopening 53 ;provided.for this-purpose. This 'opening .53=rhas a downward extension 54 to enable the suggestions or-blanksto be easilyigrqaspedlfor removal. e

For .convenience thecover 48 .may be helduin its uppersposition by means of an arm-55;pivoted atl-itsupper end in .a lug .or'ear SB-on-the base I10 and having a .slot .51- .througlr which passes a pin 58 :secured to rthe :cover as, tor example, lay-being mountedaon the side flange-24. Thezslot 4 V 51 is provided with an offset 59 which engages the pin 58 when the cover is fully raised.

The illuminating lamp 25 may be of any suitable type. Inasmuch as the space it occupies is long and narrow fluorescent lamps are well suited for this purpose. The lamps may be mounted on suitable bases as indicated at 60 in Figs. 2 and 3. The base may be so selected as to bring the lamp 25 to the proper position for illumination, and it will be apparent thatlightis radiated directly from *the lamp and also reflecte'ddrom the interior surface of the cover as indicated in Fig. 3.

'"Through the above invention I have provided asuggestions cabinet in which blanks to receive suggestions are readily accessible and in which :theifill'ed'blanks or suggestions may be easily and securely deposited without risk of loss or of being abstracted. The cabinet also provides facility for exposing a poster or sheet containing descriptive material to arouse interest in and stimulate suggestions. .All of theseco-operating elementsare enclosed under .a singleucover which leaves-no opportunity for -defacement or tampering. Itwillbe-apparent that various arrangements of the separate elements may be made without departin from the spirit and scope-of the in- .vention. 7

What I-claim is: r

Atsuggestions-cabinetwhich comprises a base, acover having-a wallspacedfromsaid base and having-edgefianges-extending to, and enclosing, the edgeof 'saidbase, a partial receptacle forming elementhaving side and bottom flanges extending to saidbase to form therewith a receptacle, ,a forward projection from said =-base into said element to divide it into an upper pocket and a lower receptacle-said element having a rearwardly extending ledge below said projection to. form with I said projection -a passageway into said :receptacle and said cover and element having aligned openings into said passageway, said cover having -a:-slotabove saideedge of v saidelement to provide amopeninginto said *pocket.

. REFERENCES CITED lhe fo'llowing references are-of record in-the file of this patent: 7

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

